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Welcome to Thorvald!

Sometimes, the process of making a stop motion animated film is a bit like being locked in a deadly struggle with a fearsome sea serpent, only to look into its face and recognize yourself. This blog is for anyone who has battled a 12-inch tall monster of their own and discovered a worthy adversary and a beautiful friendship.

Welcome to my lair. Visit my monsters and tell me about yours.

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Monday, 12 September 2011

The boat continues to evolve. Yes, I know the color scheme is ridiculous, NO this is not the final version. This is only a mock-up to work out the proportions for the figureheads. The heads are made of modeling clay at the moment, but will eventually be replaced by PaperClay, which is much more lightweight and paint-able. I am hoping that when I am done the whole thing will look like weathered wood. At the moment, the heads are looking a bit small. I am considering making them bigger.

Friday, 9 September 2011

The boat continues to develop. The walls are almost complete, with some cardboard additions, and I am also putting in supports for the figureheads on either end of the boat. Hopefully it will be looking like an actual boat quite soon. Thorvald does not trust me and is still despondent. Of course, as he is the star of the film, tantrums are to be expected.

Wednesday, 7 September 2011

The boat is progressing rapidly, and I am building in some extra supports to keep Thorvald in place as the boat moves forward. It is not that I doubt his courage and feel the need to chain him down, I am simply concerned about the turbulence inherent in being swallowed whole by an embittered sea serpent. I have drilled some wire hooks into the foot area, and am using them to attach straps/laces that will keep his feet in place. On the seat, there are two additional loops in front which connect to a pair of hooks that go around his legs, and another loop in the back that surrounds his waist.Surprisingly, after all of this care for his safety, Thorvald is still looking displeased and pensive. Although he appreciates the technical aspects, he would prefer it if the end result were more aesthetically pleasing and looked less like a wooden shoebox. My apologies, Thorvald, I will endeavor to do better....

Monday, 5 September 2011

Poor Thorvald really needn't look so distressed. His boat is only in the initial construction stages and will soon be looking much nicer. This is the boat on which he will embark on his epic journey into the bowels of the Stoorworm,so it is essential that it display both sturdy construction and a suitably mythic exterior. The walls that are visible now are made of Balsa wood, while the bottom is made of a thicker, denser wood, to keep the boat stable as it sails into the unknown...